American Academy of Dermatology


The American Academy of Dermatology is one of the largest organizations of dermatologists in the world. It was founded in 1938 and represents more than 20,500 dermatologists in the United States, Canada, and around the world. The academy grants fellowships and associate memberships, as well as fellowships for nonresidents of the United States or Canada. Since 1979, the AAD also publishes a monthly medical journal, the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
To become a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, a physician must be a resident of the United States of America or Canada and certified by the American Board of Dermatology or in dermatology by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
To become an associate member, a physician must have three years of experience in practice or as a teacher or graduate student of dermatology and must have had training that qualifies for examination by the American Board of Dermatology or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Sulzberger Institute Committee

The Sulzberger Institute for Dermatologic Education was a grant-giving organization that funds research technology of education. Initially, the Sulzberger was a free-standing institute loosely affiliated with the AAD and governed by an independent board of trustees. Since 2005, the Sulzberger has been subsumed within the AAD, and has become the Sulzberger Institute Committee of the AAD.
Each fall, the Sulzberger awards one or two seed grants for research designed to improve the teaching of dermatology via novel technological applications. In recent years, the Committee has been particularly interested in funding research to advance continuing graduate medical education in dermatology and the teaching of dermatologic surgery. Grants are typically for one to two years, and are targeted to young investigators, including junior faculty and residents-in-training.

Political action committee

The American Academy of Dermatology Political Action Committee donated nearly $1.3 million to both Democratic and Republican office-seekers during the 2016 election cycle. The PAC raised more than $1.4 million from 1,700 donors, who gave more than $200 each, with 49 donors, mostly dermatologists, making the maximum donation allowed by law, $5,000 each.
SKIN PAC gave:
Donations in the 2016 cycle were slightly down from the 2014 cycle. The PAC spent an additional $29,900 with the Mammen Group, a DC-based direct mail agency and $28,800 with Prevail Strategies, a political consulting and public affairs company.